Archived: Trust Headquarters

We found improvements were required in care and welfare, equipment, staffing, supporting staff and quality assurance processes.

There was a lack of detailed handover information about patient care and a lack of consistent staff to support patients. There was also a lack of clear processes for patients in accessing services at their own home. Managers told us that there had been difficulties in patients accessing specialist equipment to promote their independence.

There was a significant shortage of district nurses and a lack of experienced staff to support the needs of patients. We found that the skill mix of staff was poor.

Staff told us that they had not had access to recent performance reviews and appropriate supervision for clinical staff. Staff told us that they felt unsupported by the Trust. We received in excess of 15 negative comments from staff prior, during and after the inspection about a culture they found unsupportive and oppressive across the trust.

The trust had systems and processes in place for governance and risk management. However the implementation and quality of these was variable.